Sofa bed



May 8, 1951 D. WAXMAN 2,552,128

SOFA BED Filed May 25, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l IINVENTOR Dawd Wqxmqn B "WWD. WAXMAN May 8, 1951 SOFA BED 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 23, 1950 #XXXINVENTOR DOVId Wnxman Patented May 8, 1951 SOFA BED David Waxman,Chelsea, Mass., assignor to Parkway Furniture Manufacturing Company,Lawrence, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 23,1950, Serial No. 163,728

5 Claims.

the other the back, which makes it uncomfor table for sleeping purposes.When the ordinary sofa bed is opened to form a bed, the center sectionslopes downward in the region that the two portions, the back and theseat portion, are hinged together.

In the present invention this objectionable feature of the ordinary sofabed is entirely overcome and the bed actually presents one continuousmattress surface with the same desirable effects that the ordinary goodmattress will provide. In fact, in the present invention the sofa bed atits top has a complete mattress section made with the same type of innerspring units as the ordinary mattress is made with the exception thatthe coils are a little shorter so that the thickness of the mattresswill correspondingly be slightly less. This mattress is a single orunitary structure serving both for the seat of the sofa bed and for theback of the sofa bed when used as a sofa. The mattress sections in thepresent invention are backed by the ordinary box spring used like anordinary bed box spring but made in two separable sections, one undereach half of the mattress extending parallel to the direction of thepivot or the hinge. In general, standard hardware elements may be usedin the construction, such for instance as the hinges and latchesordinarily used in sofa beds.

Without further describing the merits and advantages of the presentinvention, the invention will be more fully described in connection withan embodiment illustrated by the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows an end view of the sofa bed with one end of thesupporting base structure removed, showing the hinging element in a sofaposition.

Figure 2 shows a detail of the supporting and hinging arrangement forthe sofa bed in the bed position.

Figure 3 shows a fragmentary section in elevation through a portion ofthe sofa bed when it is opened up into a bed position.

Figure 4 shows a plan view of the sofa bed opened looking down on itwith parts shown broken away, and,

Figure 5 shows a section taken on the line 55 of Figure 3.

In the arrangement illustrated in the drawings, the sofa bed issupported on a base I to which is attached a bracket 2 carrying thesupport and hinging pivots for the sofa bed. In the illustration shownin Figures 1 and 2, this is a standard support formed with two plates 3and 4 pivoted near one end 5 and suspended by two bars or links 6 and Iwhich are pivoted to the bracket 2 at 8 and 9 respectively. The arm orbar 6 is also pivoted at 5 where the two plates 3 and t are pivoted,while the arm 1 is pivoted at ill in thebody of the bracket, 4.

In the position shown in Figure 1, the two arms 6 and 1 aresubstantially parallel while in the position shown in Figure 2, this isnot so. The plate 3 supports the box spring structure ll while the plate4 supports the box spring structure I 2 forming each one half of thesofa bed. 7

In Figure 3 there is shown a cross section taken on the sofa bed whenopened as a bed. This structure comprises the two lower independent boxspring sections H and I2 previously mentioned which may be of the usualconstruction comprising a base, wood or metal frame l5 on which may bemounted cone-shaped springs I6, l6, etc., wired together by one or moreelements II to form a unitary structure. The box spring frame so mountedmay be covered with a felt padding 18 but need not be finished at thetop. It will be remembered that each of the box spring sections II andI2 are completely separated from one another and are held and positionedby means of the hinged plates 3 and 4 which are hinged at the pivotpoint 5 to permit the box springs to swing apart as shown more clearlyin Figure 1.

Over the box spring is mounted the mattress element is. This is asimple-mattress of the usual type and construction with a top cover 26tufted with through tufting 2 I, the cover having beneath it arubberized hair sheet 22 over which is a layer of cotton battingupholstery 23 which The extends down the sides of the mattress. bottomof the mattress is provided with an orthe other but not into the ends.The slitting is essential but may be covered over if desired by a veryloose covering member which will provide sufficient excess material sothat when the mattress is in the position indicated in Figure l, thematerial in the angle section beneath the p mattress subtended by theside curved section 21 will not be under strain or tension and will nottherefore tend to draw the top cover of the mattress down at the middleline. The tension on the middle line is relieved and the mattress willeasily bend or fold along it even though it is perfectly level on top.It is preferable to slit the mattress along the center at the bottom orto leave a section of the bottom cover of the mattress open in thisregion, and if desired the edges of the slit may be finished off orhooked to adjacent rows of helical springs 28 on either side of theslit. The mattress I9 in its inside is constructed in the usual fashionwith rows of helical springs 28 which may be fastened together by clips29 attaching adjoining springs to wires 30 providing a completeframework for the inner spring structure. The only essentialmodification of the ordinary mattress structure is that along the centerline 25 there are. provided two adjacent longitudinally extending wires3land 32 (see Figures 3 and 4) which are held together by a spiralspring member 33 extending substantially the length of the mattress. Theposition of these elements with respect to the top covering element ofthe mattress is indicated in Figure 3. Ehis spiral hinge is just belowthe topof the mattress structure and in line with the pivot forming theimaginary line bisecting the angle. between the sides i3 and I4 whichdefines the inner edges of the seat and back of the sofa in the sofaposition indicated in Figure 1 and the. central longitudinal plane ofthe bed as illustrated in Figure 3.

The mattress 19 covers both box spring units It and I2 and is held inplace by the skirt or covering 40 or by any suitable means which holdsthe mattress in each half or section to the box spring units. The cover40 extends around the sides of the mattress and a short distance beneathit and then covers the outer sides M and 4.2 of the box spring units.The ends of the box spring may be similarly covered.

No particular mention has been made of the base I and the positioning ofthe bracket 2 as this is substantially conventional. It will be notedthat When used as a sofa the seat is directly on the base and whenopened as a bed the units together straddle. the. base substantiallysymmetrically. It is evident therefore that the box spring unitshaveboth an oscillatory and translatory motion in the change of devicefrom a sofa to a bed and Vice versa. One of the advantages of thepresent construction as herein described is the use of a unitarymattress which is made to flex along its center line.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. A sofa bed of the type described compris ing an inner spring,unitary, top upholstered mattress member having a longitudinallyextending hinge serving as a pivot between adjacent rows of innersprings along a central line lengthwise of the mattress effectivelyforming the mattress intotwo longitudinal sections, said hinge beingpositioned just beneath the upholstered top of the mattress and saidmattress being provided with a bottom cover having an open sectionsubstantially coextensive with the hinge, a pair of box springstructures, means for securing each effective longitudinal section ofthe mat-- tress, respectively, to one of said pairs of box springstructures, and means for pivotally supporting said box springstructures for swinging the sofa bed into a sofa or bed positionincludin pivot means between said box spring structures aligned parallelto said first hinge and vertically beneath the same when the bed is inan open level position.

2. A sofa bed of the type described comprising an inner coiled spring,unitary, top upholstered mattress member with rows of coiled springshaving a longitudinally extending hinge under the top upholsteredsurface of the mattress ef fectively hinging two adjacent rows of coilsof the mattress in two longitudinal sections, a box spring structureunder each mattress section, said mattress having a free open bottomregion, means securing, the mattress sections respectively to said boxspring structures and means for pivotally supporting said box springstructures for swinging the sofa bed into a sofa or bed positionincluding pivot means between said box spring structures at the ends ofthe sofa bed aligned parallel to said first hinge and vertically belowthe same.

3. A sofa bed of the type described comprising a coiled inner spring,unitary, top upholstered mattress member with rows of coiled springshaving a longitudinally extending hinge under the topupholstered surfaceof the mattress effectively hinging two adjacent rows of coils of themattress in two longitudinal sections, said mattress being covered atthe ends and sides and having on its bottom side an open sectionextending substantially for its length directly below the longitudinalextending hinge, a pair of individual box spring structures, thecovering of the mattress at the sides and ends extending down over thesides and ends of the box spring structures and yieldingly securing thelongitudinally hinged sections of the mattress respectively, one to eachof said box spring structures, one of said pair of box spring structuresbeing under one section of said mattress and one under the other sectionof the mattress, and hinge means connecting said box spring structuresat the ends thereof and having an axis parallel to the hinges in saidmattress.

4. A. sofa bed of the type described comprising asupporting base, a pairof box spring structures, means supporting said box spring structuresfor translatory movement with respect to said base and for pivotingmotion with respect to one another whereby the box spring structures maybe placed in a bed position or in a sofa position, a unitary, coiledinner spring, top

upholstered mattress structure having the coils tied together in twosections pivoted to one another along a longitudinal line of themattress directly under the top upholstery of the mattress and saidmattress having a bottom cover with an opening directly under the lineof pivot and a skirt element extending around said mattress for securingeach mattress part, one to each of said box spring structures, thepivoting axis of said box spring structure being parallel and below thepivoting axes of said mattress.

5. A sofa bed of the type described comprising a supporting base, a pairof box spring structures, means supporting said box spring structuresfor translatory motion with respect to said base and for pivoting motionwith respect to one, another whereby the box spring structures may beplaced in a bed position or in a sofa position, a unitary inner springmattress structure having a continuous upholstered covered top andbottom cover with an open section extending along the middle of themattress parallel to the pivoting axis of the box spring structures forsubstantially its whole length, said mattress having a REFERENCES CITEDThe following references are of record in the file of this patent:

6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Mahler Aug. 11, 1874Baggs Dec. 5, 1882 Littlejohn Oct. 26, 1886 Hale Dec. 21, 1897 KohlmannFeb. 12, 1901 Bennett May 26, 1908 Williams Nov. 16, 1926 Maddux Mar.10, 1936 Fox July 30, 1940 Bank Aug. 4, 1942 Young Nov. 23, 1943 FOREIGNPATENTS- Country Date Germany Sept. 10, 1882

